Tent support



Dec. 15, 1925- 1,565,977

F. AMES TENT SUPPORT Filed Jan. 8. 1925 Y I" w miifz k INVENTOR.

. itfclun/ MW Patented Dec. 15, 1925.

UNITED STATES FLETCHER AMES, OF BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.

TENT SUPPORT.

Application filed January 8, 1925. Serial No. 1,200.

[0 all whom it may concern,

Be it known that I, FLETCHER AMns, a citizen of the United States,residing at Berkeley, county of Alameda, and State oi California, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Tent Supports, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to tent supports and particularly to a lightweight folding tent support which, in a folded po'sition, can be easilycarried in a relatively small space and which, in its open position,will support a tent and hold the same outwardly in the open position. Itis the primary object of my invention to provide such an improved tentsupport, having novel means for opening the tent and for holding thesame in such open position.

In accordance with my invention, I provide a plurality of relativelylong jointed light weight rods, the lower ends of which are adapted torest on the ground and the upper ends pivotally connected together. Thepivoted ends of these rods carry a downwardly extending rod on which isa sliding collar carrying a plurality of tent spreading bars. The freeends of the bars are adapted to engage the corners of a tent and theconstruction is such that when the collar is drawn downwardly the barsare forced outwardly in a manner to spread the tent to the openposition. In the tentsupporting position, the long supporting rodsextend downwardly along the top and sides of the tent, thus leaving theinterior of the tent entirely unobstructed. It is a further object of myinvention to provide an improved folding tent support of this type.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated one form of myinvention, but it will be understood that such construction can bemodified within the scope of the appended claims without departing fromthe spirit of my invention.

Referring to the figures of the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my improved device in the opentent-supporting position.

Fig. 2 is a view of: the device in the col lapsed position.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view showing how the device cooperates witha tent.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of one of the long jointed supporting rods.

Referring more specifically to the drawng by reference characters, 1, land l indicate a plurality of relatively long jointed tent supportingrods. hile in the drawing I have shown two of such rods, it will beunderstood that three or more of such rods can be used if desired. Tomake the device as light in weight as possible, I preferably form theserods of tubular material, the lower ends 1 of the rods being sligl'itlylarger and telescoped over and riveted to the smaller portions 1. Arivet 2 is provided in the portion 1 upon which rests the portion 1 asshown in Fig. l. The upper ends of portion 1 of the rods are pivotedtogether at 4; and the lower ends thereof are bent at 3 in a manner tobe received in the upper ends of the portions 1. The pivots at 4 permitthe rod portions 1 to drop down to the folding position illustrated inFig. 2, or to be spread outwardly to the open position illustrated inFigs. 1 and 3.

A rod 5 secured to the pivot supports at 4 has a relatively shortportion 5 extending above the collar and a longer portion extendingbelow the collar. A stop 6 is provided on the lower end of this rod.Slidably mounted on the rod 5 between the pivots 4t and stop 6 is acollar 7. A plurality of bars 8 are pivoted for vertical move ment onthis collar 7, the outer ends of these bars being threaded and flangedat S and engaging through eyes formed in the corners of the tent to besupported. Nuts 9 and 1.0 secure the rod 5 and bars 8 to the tent ll.

When the tent and its holder are to be assembled, the portion 5 of therod 5 is extended outwardly through an eye in the peak of the tent asshown in Fig. 3 and the ends S of the bars 8 are extended outwardlythrough eyes formed in the corners oi: the tent. The nuts 9 and 10 arethen threaded on to hold the tent and the device shown in Fig. 2assembled. The tent and this portion of the device are adapted to remain permanently assembled in this mannor.

lVhen the tent is to be raised, a center lifting pole 12 is placedagainst the rod 5 beneath the stop 6. lVith the tent thus supported, thecollar 7 is drawn downwardly against the stop 6. This movement of thecollar straightens the bars 8 and spreads the corners of the tentumbrella-like to their open position. The stop 6 is so located that whenthe collar engages the same, the bars will be positioned below theirdead center and thus locked against upward folding movement. Thesupporting rods 1 and 1 are engaged with the bent ends 3 of the rods 1".lVhen these supports are in place, the center pole is removed and therods permanently support the tent in its open position, leaving thecenter thereof tree and unobstructed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is 1. A tent support comprising the combination of aplurality of relatively long supporting rods pivotally connectedtogether at their upper ends and in use diverging from each other, thelower ends thereof being adapted to rest on the ground, a rod carried byand extending downwardly from the junction of the said rods, and aplurality of tent spacing bars having the inner ends movably connectedto the rod and the outer ends free and adapted to engage and hold a tentin spread condition.

2. A tent support comprising the combination of a plurality ofrelatively long sup porting rods pivotally connected together at theirupper ends and in use diverging froln each other, the lower ends thereofbeing adapted to rest on the ground, a rod carried by and extendingdownwardly from the junction of the said rods, a collar slidably carriedon the downwardly extending rod, and a plurality of tent spacing barshaving their inner ends pivotally connected to said collar and theirouter ends free and adapted to engage and to hold a tent in spreadcondition.

3. A tent support comprising the combination of a plurality ofrelatively long supporting rods pivotally connected together at theirupper ends and in use diverging from each other, the lower ends thereofbeing adapted to rest on the ground, a rod carried by and extendingdownwardly from the junction of the said rods, a stop on the lower endof the downwardly extending rod, a collar slidably carried on the rodand a plurality of tent spacing bars having their inner ends pivotallyconnected to the said collar and their outer ends free and adapted toengage one against each corner of a tent, the tent being adapted to besupported at the said junction and the collar being adapted to be drawndownwardly against the stop in a manner to force the bars outwardly andspread the corners of the tent.

i. A tent support comprising the combination of a plurality ofrelatively long supporting rods bent toward each other adjacent theirupper ends and pivotally connected together at such ends, each 01": suchrods comprising a plurality of sections detachably connected togetherand the lower ends thereof being adapted to rest on the ground, a rodcarried by and extending downwardly from the junction of the said rods,a stop on the lower end of the rod, a collar slidably mounted on therod, and a plurality of tent spacing bars having their inner endspivotally connected to said collar and their outer ends free and adaptedto engage and hold a tent in spread condition, the said long rods beingadapted to support a tent and the collar being adapted to be drawndownwardly against the stop to force the bars outwardly against the tentto spread and support the tent umbrella-like.

5. A tent support comprising the combination of a plurality ofrelatively long supporting rods bent toward each other adjacent theirupper ends and pivotally connected together at such ends, each of suchrods comprising a plurality of sections detach ably connected togetherand the lower ends thereof being adapted to rest on the ground, a rodcarried by the junction of said rods and having a relatively shortupwardly extending portion and a longer downwardly extending portion, astop on the lower end of the rod, a collar on the rod between the saidjunction and stop, and a plurality of tent spacing bars having theirlnner ends pivoted to the collar and their outer ends adapted to engageagainst the tent, the said relatively short portion of the rod beingadapted to extend through an eye in the to a of the tent to support thesame and the sli ing collar being adapted to be drawn downwardly againstthe stop to force the bars outwardly against the tent to spread andsupport the tent umbrella-like, the stop being so located that when thecollar engages the same the bars will be positioned below their deadcenter and thus locked against upward folding movement.

(3. A tent support comprising the combination of a plurality ofrelatively long jointed tent supporting rods, the upper ends of the rodsextending toward each other and pivotally connected together and thelower ends thereoef being adapted to rest on the ground, a rod carriedby and extending downwardly from the junction of the said rods, aplurality of tent spacing bars having their inner ends pivotally andslidably cooperating with the rod and their outer ends free and adaptedto engage a tent whereby in one position the bars hold the tent inspaced position and in another position the bars fold up to a carryingposition, the j ointed construction of the tent supporting rodspermitting the folding of such rods for carrying purpose.

7. In combination, a tent, a plurality of tent supporting rods pivotedtogether near the peak of the tent, a rod carried by the junction of thesaid rods and having a relativelyshort upwardly extending portion and alonger downwardly extending portion, the said short portion engaging thepeak of the tent, a collar slidably mounted on the said downwardlyextending portion, a plurality of tent spacing bars having their innerends pivoted to the collar and having their outer ends engaging thecorners of the tent, movement of the collar downwardly being adapt- 10ed to force the bars outwardly against the tent to spread and supportthe tent umbrella-like, and a plurality of relatively long rods adaptedto engage the first mentioned rods to support the tent in raisedposition on 15 the ground.

FLETCHER AMES.

DlSOLAIMER.

1,565,977.F ZGEO/li" Ames, Berkeley, California. TENT SUPPORT. Patentdated December 15, 1925. Disclaimer filed September 4, 1926, by thepatentee.

Hereby disclaims from the combination set forth in claim 7, anystructure which does not employ a pair 01 rods 1 at the peak, which rodsalone are supported by the upright members 1 and J and wherein thespreader bars 8 are free at their outer ends and disconnected from thetent-supporting poles.

[Ofiicz'al Gazette September 21, 19:26.]

